Bangkok To Celebrate As World Book Capital

[webfact]

Bangkok to celebrate as World Book Capital

Supalak Patcharopaswattanakul

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced yesterday that it is planning activities to celebrate being named World Book Capital 2013 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

"A Thai person reads only two to five books per year, but in Bangkok we want to increase that number to 10 books per year in 2013," Deputy Governor Taya Teepsuwan said, adding that she wanted other provinces to promote reading as well.

The celebration will be held from April 20 to 23. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will preside over an opening ceremony on April 22 at Siam Paragon.

Activities will include a book offering to monks at Sanam Luang. Underprivileged and elderly people will also be given books. Parents will be given books to read to their children. Volunteers will produce audio books to the blind.

The BMA will also designate reading areas in hospitals, shopping centres, banks, taxis, buses and the Skytrain.

-- The Nation 2012-12-21

[SteeleJoe]

No prizes for guessing what some of this thread is going to be like...

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[laurentbkk]

Bangkok book capital ?????? is that a joke ? unless you are talking about those Japanese manga or other cartoon book ? or maybe I really missed something ......

[draftvader]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

Edited December 21, 2012 by draftvader

[angsta]

Wait. They found a Thai reading a book in Bangkok?? Can anyone confirm this?? I don't believe.

@ Draftvader - exactly when did Theroux make that statement? He also mention that Vientiane was a den of opium and prostitutes in the same text. Things change.

[harrry]

HUB?

[SteeleJoe]

Early days and already predictable...believe me, I'm well aware (from both many years of personal observation and a few studies done on the topic) of the relative rarity of Thais who read but surely that topic has been done to death. Of course, it will be irresistible to the obsessive Thai bashers.

Wait. They found a Thai reading a book in Bangkok?? Can anyone confirm this?? I don't believe.

@ Draftvader - exactly when did Theroux make that statement? He also mention that Vientiane was a den of opium and prostitutes in the same text. Things change.

Well, let's see. It's been open about 5 years and as of last week it was a truly excellent store in my opinion. You suspect that within the last few years it has significantly declined? Based on what?

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[draftvader]

Wait. They found a Thai reading a book in Bangkok?? Can anyone confirm this?? I don't believe.

@ Draftvader - exactly when did Theroux make that statement? He also mention that Vientiane was a den of opium and prostitutes in the same text. Things change.

I did quote the book and a quick google will reveal the date. To save you the grief.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Train_to_the_Eastern_Star

[draftvader]

Also don't forget that, if you are into the classics and reading music, the Kinokunaya in Emporium rules.

Edited December 21, 2012 by draftvader

[Arkady]

5555. Not even the world capital of comic books.

[Keesters]

A Thai person reads only two to five books per year

So how many book do they actually finish?

Edited December 21, 2012 by Keesters

[AdamBangkok]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

It's a fraction of the size of the Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City in Singapore - that's the best book store I've been to in the region.

Btw, I loved Ghost Train . . . fantastic book.

[Payboy]

All a big misunderstanding. It was actually underground "bookie" capital.

[Baerboxer]

Also don't forget that, if you are into the classics and reading music, the Kinokunaya in Emporium rules.

I've always preferred listening to music. But each to their own!

[Baerboxer]

Bangkok book capital ?????? is that a joke ? unless you are talking about those Japanese manga or other cartoon book ? or maybe I really missed something ......

Bangkok World book capital 2013 - based on what? Typical UNESCO drivel. Just pass the awards around to make sure everyone gets a turn.

[Payboy]

5555. Not even the world capital of comic books.

But they tried.

[pedro01]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

I think he'd change his mind if he went to Singapore to be honest - there's bigger & better on Orchard.

As for prices - they are also waaaay more expensive here. I tend to buy Kindle on Amazon now, it's half the price of Kinokuniya and about on par with a US book store.

[KuhnPaen]

I didn't think "Manga" counted as "books".

I remember reading "Crime and Punishment." on the bus to Sisaket with my Thai GF....and trying to explain what the book was about in broken Thai & English.

"It about guy who kill an evil pawnbroker." I said.

"What pawnbroker mean?"

"Remember where you sold the gold ring I bought you, and I had to buy back again?."

"Yes."

"Same thing."

"Why you read book about that?"

"Because it's a great book."

"He get a lot of money?"

"No, and he has to give it away to the family of a guy who gets killed by a carriage>"

"what that?"

"Thing that gets pulled by horses. People sit in it. "

"Like rice plow?"

"Yes, like rice plow."

"Oh."

"You want to read it? Maybe there is a Thai version."

"No, it okay. You already tell me."

Edited December 21, 2012 by KuhnPaen

[UbonOz]

I prefer to wait till the film comes out.

[thirteenalpha]

This must be the catalyst for the upcoming doomsday.

[MongersSyndicate]

I'm glad that fact finally comes out in the open. I was so tired of people not believing me that I was in Bangkok for the books.

[denishuahin]

Are these books with Text or pictures? I guess pictures. I bet not one was reading the Highway Code.

[DP25]

Lot of misunderstanding about what this means. 'World Book Capital' is a title awarded to a city based on it's programs to promote books and reading. It is not awarded for already being the best in those areas. Before laughing maybe use your own literacy for a minute and look it up.

[kkerry]

Lot of misunderstanding about what this means. 'World Book Capital' is a title awarded to a city based on it's programs to promote books and reading. It is not awarded for already being the best in those areas. Before laughing maybe use your own literacy for a minute and look it up.

Perhaps they need to rename the award to better reflect what it is all about then...

[thirteenalpha]

Lot of misunderstanding about what this means. 'World Book Capital' is a title awarded to a city based on it's programs to promote books and reading. It is not awarded for already being the best in those areas. Before laughing maybe use your own literacy for a minute and look it up.

Promoting books and reading is a good thing, but it is useless unless you have people ready to accept these big changes.

It is like rewarding the special ed kid for being the most friendly.

[bkk_mike]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

This is why you get a Kindle. - Better choice of books than ANY shop in Asia, and no delivery charge.

The only issue I can think of is that I don't think Kindles can handle Thai except as graphics (maybe the Kindle Fire can as it's Android).

[draftvader]

Also don't forget that, if you are into the classics and reading music, the Kinokunaya in Emporium rules.

I've always preferred listening to music. But each to their own!

Oh dear.... trained musicians READ music

[draftvader]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

This is why you get a Kindle. - Better choice of books than ANY shop in Asia, and no delivery charge.

The only issue I can think of is that I don't think Kindles can handle Thai except as graphics (maybe the Kindle Fire can as it's Android).

Sorry, I need my time away from tech. My job is tech so I have to make sure I have boundaries.

[sprq]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

Theroux is often wrong, substituting opinions and feelings for facts. Kinokinuya Paragon is certainly way ahead of any other book shop in Thailand, but I've heard that its Singapore branch is bigger and better.

As to its prices, some are lower than Amazon and the like (including p&p), some are higher. I love browsing in Kinokuniya, but often as not I'll buy online, second-hand, and get much better deals.

[sprq]

I can see this both ways. Let me be positive. Kinokunaya in Paragon is, as Paul Theroux (who knows a thing or 2 about books) put it, "the best book shop in South East Asia" (ref: Ghost Train to the Eastern Star). Let's not sniff at how lucky we are to have such a well stocked book shop in our capital city. The prices certainly beat buying "back West" and having them shipped!

It's a fraction of the size of the Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City in Singapore - that's the best book store I've been to in the region.

Btw, I loved Ghost Train . . . fantastic book.

Theroux is totally unreliable as a reporter, but frequently interesting. In that book, he writes fawning, gooey-eyed rubbish about Istanbul and Thailand, and shows ridiculous prejudice against Budapest and Romania on the basis of a few hours in each, but is hugely entertaining when he lays into Singapore. The guy is unbalanced, in a word.